With continuing concern about energy conservation, there is a desire to minimize the amount of heated air from a dwelling that is permitted to enter a fireplace, hence to minimize room heat loss via a fireplace flue or chimney. Ideally, fireplace screen assemblies close the fireplace opening when the fireplace is not in use. Fireplace screens having a frame on which two or more glass door elements are slidably or hingedly mounted to provide access to the fireplace are therefore increasingly being used to control the draft of air entering the fireplace.
Mesh type screens, such as those of a woven metallic mesh, mounted for opening and closing like sliding doors are frequently provided behind firescreen glass doors to prevent flying sparks from the fireplace from escaping when the doors are open.
One problem with mesh doors is that they must each be hand manipulated separately to gain access to the fireplace hearth area, thus causing some inconvenience to the user and potential danger to the dwelling place if they are left open when the user leaves the area to gather up logs and the like.